With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, many get stumped as to what to buy. Sure, there’s the standard flowers, a card, and some chocolate, but why not capture the love that our two wheeled friends bring us?

Riding bikes has a way of unleashing powerful emotions. You know, like the sense of power you get when the wind is at your back. Or, the sense of wonder and appreciation you feel upon glancing at our natural environment.

Since bike riding gifts our spirits and bodies with so much, why not pass on the chocolate this Valentine’s Day and opt for healthier options instead? Following are our top picks for a healthy Valentine’s Day.

#1 Give the Valentine’d Day Gift of Nutrition
Nutrition matters. We all know it – but that doesn’t mean we eat and drink what we know we should. And athletes suffer from poor choices too. The symptoms of poor nutrition rears its ugly head in many ways: via muscle cramping, struggling to complete workouts, and unsuccessful race efforts. Eliminate all the frustration with improved bike nutrition. At Peak Cycles Bicycle Shop, we have several options including nutritional products just for women. Specifically, Osmo nutrition – This product is specific to women offering three options: active hydration, acute recovery, and preload hydration. Other favorites for both men and women are Scratch Labs and Honey Stinger Products.

#2 Give the Valentine’d Day Gift of a Power Meter
Is your cyclist a data junkie? Then, this is the ideal gift for your favorite cyclist! The main idea behind using cycling training tools is to dial in training to optimize performance as it relates to specific goals and objectives. Our post, The Best Training Aids to Launch into Spring Cycling, dives into the benefits of training with power. As for which power meter to purchase, consider our most popular one, Stages Power Meters. Stages Power meter is the lightest, smallest, most technologically advanced unit available today. Another option is the Pioneer Power Meter. A third option is a company that’s been around for a while now – PowerTap Power Meter.

#3 Give the Valentine’d Day Gift of a Great Fitting Bike
Gift a Bike fit – Does your cyclist complain of hands falling asleep while riding? Or shoulder or neck pain after a long ride? A bike fit isn’t just for professional riders – they are for anyone who rides whether they are a beginner or advanced rider. A bike fit helps ensure riding comfort but it also impacts technique which is crucial to preventing overuse injuries and how an athlete rides. Consider the gift of giving your favorite cyclist a bike fit for Valentine’s Day. Not only can we help them with the fit, but we carry all the bike parts required to get the bike in the very best setup for their riding needs. Give us a call (303) 216-1616 or stop by the shop in Golden to schedule your bike fit.

#4 Give the Valentine’d Day Gift of Adventure
Gift a fat bike demo! That’s right! Fat bikes are all the rage – snow or no snow! They thrive in snow, sand, desert, bogs and mud as well as riding what is considered normal mountain biking. Book a fat bike demo for Valentine’s Day and brighten up the normal winter riding program. Who can’t smile while riding a fat bike?

#5 Give the Valentine’d Day Gift of Bike Parts
And last but not least, what is a cyclist dream gift? Bike parts! As a reminder, our shop BikeParts.com offers a huge selection of road bike parts, mountain bike parts, BMX bike parts and more. If you need it for your bike, then we have it! Because we sell our bicycle parts online, we are able to help customers all over the world. In addition to bike parts, we also carry a large selection of cycling accessories.

Share the love with your favorite cyclist and your bike! Happy Valentine’s Day from all of us a Peak Cycles Bicycle Shop!

Watching the pros battle it out daily during the Tour de France can inspire you to emulate whatever it is that makes them go so fast! You may wonder, how many miles a week are they riding? What are they doing on and off the bike that aids in strength, speed, and recovery?

As amateur cyclists, are there lessons to be learned from pro cyclists that can be applied to non pro riders? Absolutely – here’s how!

Pro cyclist set goals. What you can do is personalize your training and narrow the focus of your training to get the best results.

To aid with goal setting and performance reviews, pro riders train with power and heart rate. Some mistakingly think that technology takes away the “riding experience” or that it is too costly for their level of riding. However, times have changed and power meters are much more affordable. They offer objective bio feedback to help you perform your best. Our most popular are Stages Power Meters beginning at $1000. Stages Power meter is the lightest, smallest, most technologically advanced unit available today. Another option is the Pioneer Power Meter offered at $2000 and is a bit more sophisticated. A third favorite is a company that’s been around for a while now – PowerTap Power Meter.

Obviously, pro cyclists ride really nice bikes! That’s a given. Great road bicycles don’t have to come at a hefty price tag either. Check out our road bikes online at bikeparts.com to find a new bike for you.

Pro cyclist have have a bike that fits, they have the right bike parts, and they wear the appropriate cycling accessories. It may seem obvious but the small things add up to bigger gains. Easy fixes for an amateur rider!

Pro cyclists take nutrition seriously – on and off the bike. Many cyclist have different preferences as to how they prefer to get their fuel while riding – whether that is in nutrition bars, gels, and liquids. However, oftentimes, the course may dictate other options. Regardless, proper on bike nutrition is critical.

Pro cyclists focus on R&R or active recovery is good too. Some of the most elite cyclists use yoga as part of a successful training program, including 2012 Tour De France winner Bradley Wiggins. Wiggins’ benefits from the focus it brings to his cycling, while others, such as pro mountain biker and Olympian Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski, use yoga to gain strength. From power to endurance, athletes at all levels are incorporating yoga to gain an edge over the competition, and prevent injury.

While you may not be a pro cyclist, you can certainly benefit from the training elements of a Tour rider lifestyle. Stop by the Peak Cycles Bicycle Shop or connect with us on Twitter and Facebook for more training tips and cycling information to make the best of your summer cycling season.

The Rio 2016 Olympic Games kicked off this past weekend and already the mens’ and women’s road races and time trial medal winners have captured the heart’s of cycling fans. Watching the Olympic performances can inspire you to get slimmer, faster, and stronger. More so, you can find inspiration in the Olympics to take your health and fitness goals to new heights. Here’s what Olympic cyclists are doing that you can too.

Olympic cyclists train with power and heart rate. Some mistakingly think that technology takes away the “riding experience” or that it is too costly for their level of riding. However, times have changed and power meters are much more affordable. They offer objective bio feedback to help you perform your best. Our most popular are Stages Power Meters beginning at $1000. Stages Power meter is the lightest, smallest, most technologically advanced unit available today. Another option is the Pioneer Power Meter offered at $2000 and is a bit more sophisticated. A third favorite is a company that’s been around for a while now – PowerTap Power Meter.

Olympic cyclist master race day jitters. They set clearly defined goals; establish race day success rituals; have a bike that fits; have the right bike parts, and wear the appropriate cycling accessories for the event. Thesemay seem obvious but the small things add up to bigger gains.

Olympic cyclist recover smart. Included in the recovery process is quality sleep. According to the post, This Is Your Body On Sleep, reduced sleep negatively impacts your HGH production, and your body’s ability to restore its muscle glycogen supply. May pro cyclists add rolling or massage, stretching, compression, and low intensity activity to aid in recovery and getting a good night’s rest. As a bonus, many cyclist sleep in compression garments because they claim that it lowers perceived muscle soreness the day after a big day on the bike.

With envy, many fans watch the Olympic cyclists and wonder how they can mimic the fitness and performance of such talented athletes. It seems that pro cyclists are often thought to be blessed with nature’s special gifts – a huge heart, enormous lungs and infinite leg power. That may very well be the case; yet, the truth is that most of us have the physiology to be a decent racer – if we trained as much as they do and if we adopted their training habits. Stop by Peak Cycles Bicycle Shop in Golden, Colorado to unleash your inner Olympian! We have all the bike parts and cycling accessories to help you take your fitness to new heights!

What do you get a Dad who has everything? Father’s Day can be a tough one. Everyone knows Dad’s are impossible to shop for. Sure, you could just pick him up another tie or another box of golf balls. But why not get him something unique this year? Why not tap into his true passion and gift him with items he will appreciate year round!

To help you in the ideas department, at Peak Cycles Bicycle Shop, we’ve put together this list of suggestions that we’re sure will help turn his Father’s Day into more than just another game night or round of golf.

1. Get a Fat Bike! Peak Cycles Bicycle Shop is passionate about fat bikes in the winter months but they can actually be ridden year round! They are fun and versatile bikes that can be used in almost any terrain. We have found the Specialized Fatboy to be a highly rated, mid-range fat bike that is usable for a wide range of ages and skill-levels. Splurge and get him a fat bike or get him a bike demo so he can try it out himself!

2. Get New Bike Parts! So many bike parts – the question is what to purchase? Consider getting your Dad a high quality wheel set. A good wheel set impacts ride quality, ease of pedaling, reliability, and functionality. Maybe purchase some new, lighter tires for your Dad’s wheels. Another option is to reconsider the current crank set and pedals setup.

3. Get a Power Meter! Is your Dad a data junkie? Then, this is the ideal gift for him! The main idea behind using cycling training tools is to dial in training to optimize performance as it relates to specific goals and objectives. Our post, The Best Training Aids to Launch into Spring Cycling, dives into the benefits of training with power. As for which power meter to get for your Dad, consider our most popular one, Stages Power Meters, beginning at $1000. Stages Power meter is the lightest, smallest, most technologically advanced unit available today. Another option is the Pioneer Power Meter offered at $2000 and is a bit more sophisticated. A third option is a company that’s been around for a while now – PowerTap Power Meter.

4. Get Cycling Accessories! So what do you get a Dad that has everything? Cycling apparel! You can’t have too many jerseys, shorts, tights, jacket, sunglasses, and cycling shoes! Cycling apparel is much better than just getting another tie!

5. Get a Bike Fit! A bike fit isn’t just for professional riders – they are for anyone who rides whether they are a beginner or advanced rider. A bike fit helps ensure riding comfort but it also impacts technique which is crucial to preventing overuse injuries and how an athlete rides. Give your Dad the gift of riding comfortably. Give us a call (303) 216-1616 or stop by the shop in Golden to schedule your bike fit.

6. Get Gift Certificates! Gift certificates can be used for purchasing bike parts and cycling accessories. Also consider a variety of gift certificates, as in, those to Starbucks for after ride coffee. Or, even a trial member ship for yoga. If your cycling Dad complains of tight muscles, yoga helps ease the tightness, creating core strength, and aligning the spine.

7. Get a Cycling Vacation! The lifestyle here in Colorado celebrates the great outdoors. Even better, Colorado has some of the greatest road bike and mountain bike rides in the country. Some rides are shorter and convenient whereas others offer steeper, longer climbs and extended distances. There are several Destination Hotspots for Colorado Summer Cycling Trips that the whole family can enjoy.